Is there such thing as a set it and forget it skimmer?

[Potatohead]

There is not. Anyone that says there is is lyingggggg .

Too many variables.

There is always going to be build up even if you have a neck cleaner

Pumps reguardless of their setting can and will push a little more or a little less water resulting in level change.

Sump level can also change. Ie. failure

You’ll always have to end up doing some sort or cleaning/ tuning - weekly/ monthly

I’ve had both over my 20+ years and even now on my current 700g I have to adjust it. It’s a external fed by a water blaster pump and a regal Octopus

I tend to agree. Not to mention small changes in water viscosity make a big difference too.

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

I'm probably in a really unique solution because the community moved away what I'm using years ago. When I bought my upgrade tank it came with a Terminator II external self leveling skimmer by D & D Marine. I had no documentation, the company website and company itself is gone. All I knew about it, was it was from the 2008-2009 era, was used on a tank from the show "Tanked" around that time. I had no desire to replace it yet, if I could get it working, so I set it up. My original sump I first had it setup with its own 400 gph pump, it created just about no skim mate, mostly because I didn't have it adjusted right I just didn't know how. But it was a relatively new tank, so there wasn't much to skim. When I upgraded to my new sump, I re-plumbed my manifold and fed it off that, added a gate valve, and finally found a really old VHS quality video on youtube that showed you the skimmer and how to adjust it. Its actually working now, and produces skim mate, I get maybe a 1/2 cup of skim a day, its really dark, and as long as the motor holds out I see no reason yet to replace it. It is kinda a power hog, uses about 40w, as its a older AC motor on it, but my aquarium improvement budget is targeting other things right now. Anyone else have one of these, or ever used one?

 

[shred5]

Lifereef too has a self cleaning venturi. If you look at Lifereef skimmers, the venturi has a hose attached to the collection cup. It draws moist, humid air from the cup to the venturi preventing salt creep.

I have owned Lifereef they still clog over time.
Anytime you draw water into a venturi it is still eventually going to clog. Maybe not as fast but most of the time they clog from minerals in the water not just air.


Everything need to be cleaned or adjusted because performance drops over time no matter what. Every skimmer works off a pump too...

 

[Water Dog]

What I used to do, I had to sell my beloved Lifereef due to space constraints in my new sump was to nuke a cup of RO/DI water once a week and put the airline into the cup of water and suck the hot water through the venturi once a week. Flushed it out quite nicely.

 

[GoVols]

Yelp,

My Bubble King is like set and forget, as far as tuning goes.

Just got to keep the venturi (air) in-take nice and clean.

 

[Will Milberger]

My Tunze 9410DC. Every few days, I take the collection cup off, clean it and it keeps on chugging. Once a month I clean the strainer bag.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

Bubble Magus. Have that and a Vertex and the BM wins hands down.

 

[Art2249]

I’ve not touched mine in 3 years. Bubble magus.

Love my bubble magus. It's only been 4 months but after break in all I do is clean the cup. It makes dark dry muck.

 

[Philip Chin]

I haven't touch mine besides cleaning it for the last 2 to 3 years. bubble magus